Changeable-speed gear.



No. 659,390. Patented 0st. 9, |900. A. FISCHER.

4 CHANGEABLE SPEED GEAR.

(Application ledFeb. 19, 1900.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: INVENTOR /wawy.

ATTORNEY i NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

` ALEXANDER FISCHER, or NEW YORK, N. TY.

CHANGEABLE-SPEED GEAR.

SPECIFICATION lfornzling part of Letters Patent No. 659,390, dated October 9, 1900.

Application filed February 19,19Q0. y Serial No. 5 ,'7 '70. KNO 111011810 T0 @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER FISCHER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New York city, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im provementsin Changeable-Speed Gear, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to changeable-speed mechanism in general, and is more specifically designed to produce a simple and compact changeable-speed mechanism for automobile vehicles.

The preferred form of apparatus embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of the apparatus, certain parts being shown in section; and Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. y

Throughout the drawings like referenceigures refer to like parts.

In vehicles of this description the drivingshaft 1 is usually rotated continuously at approXimately-uniform speed by a gasolene-engine. The power is transmitted to the driving-wheels of the carriage through the bevelgear 2 or similar apparatus. I provide a clutch-coupling 3, keyed on the driving-shaft and compelled to rotate therewith by the key L1, but movingaxially along said driving-shaft. The corresponding clutch member 5 is provided on the rotating driven shaft 6, on which the gear 2 is mounted. This short driven shaft 6 may be made hollow throughout a portion of its length and the driving-shaft 1 eX- tended and stepped therein, as shown, for the purpose of always maintaining the clutch members in alinement. The clutch-coupling 3 is preferably mounted on a sleeve 7 in order to give it 'a longer bearing on the driving-shaft 1, and this sleeve has an annular groove 8, with which a shifting fork 9 or equivalent device engages. This sleeve also carries two gears 10 and 11 of different diameters. The driven shaft 6 also has a gear 12 formed on its end adjacent to the clutch-face 5. A frame 13 is mounted in guides 14, upon which it is movable at right angles or radially to the line of the driving and driven shafts. This slidable frame carries a counter-shaft 15, journaledin it at one side of the driving-shaft. This shaft 15 carries gears 16 and `17, which mesh with the gears 12 and 10 of thedriven and driving members when the slidable frame 13is moved-downward, (looking at Fig. 2.)" On the other side of the driving-shaft the'same slidable frame carries a second counter-shaft 18, which has gears 19 and 20, arranged to mesh with gears 12 and 11 on driven and driving members, respectively, when the slidable frame is moved upward, (looking at Fig. 2.) The shafts 15 and 18 preferably have roller-beari n gs in the slidable frame 13, as shown at 21, Fig. 2. 22 or other convenient means is provided for producing the sliding motion of the frame 13.

The mode of operation of my invention is as follows: The driving-shaft 1 is supposed to be continuously rot-ated in the direction to cause the clutch members 3 and 5 to engage when they approach one another. When said clutch members so interlock, the driven shaft 6 will revolve at the same rate of speed as the driving-shaft 1. By moving the fork 9 and shifting the sleeve 7 axially of the shafts the connections between said clutchV members may be broken and the driving-shaft will run idly. If, then, the link 22 is moved so as to force the slidable frame 13 downward, (looking at Fig. 2,) the gear 16 will mesh with the gear 12 and the gear 17 with the gear 10. Motion in the same direction will then be ytransmitted from the driving-shaft 1 to the A link being all arranged in substantially the same IOO be changed; but these and similar modifications I should still consider within the scope of my invention. It is to be understood, of course, that while the slidalole frame 13 is described as being movable up and down (looking at Fig. 2) it would be disposed in practice usually so as to slide horizontally under the body of the vehicle.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. In a changeable-speed mechanism the combination of the driving-shaft, two gears of different dialnet er rotated thereby, a driven shaft in line with the driving-shaft, a driven gear thereon, the frame slidable along a line radial tothe lshafts, a counter-shaft journaled in said slidable frame on one side of said shafts, gears keyed to it of proper diameter to mesh simultaneously with the driven gear and with one of the driving-gears, a second counter-shaft journaled in the slidable frame on the other side of the shaft, and gears keyed to it of proper diameter to mesh with the driven gear and with the other driving-gear.

2. In a changeable-speed mechanism, the combination of the driving-shaft, two gears ofdierent diameter rotated thereby, a driven shaft in line with the driving-shaft, a driven gear thereon, the Aframe slidable along a line radial to the shafts, a con nter-shaft jou rnaled in said slidable frame on one side of said shafts, gears keyed to it of proper diameter to mesh simultaneously with the driven gear and with one of the driving-gears, a second counter-shaftI journaled in the slidable frame on the other side of the shaft and gears keyed to it of proper diameter to mesh with the driven gear and with the other driving-gear, together with the axially-s1idable clutch between said driving and driven shafts.

3. In a changeable-speed mechanism, the

combination of the driving-shaft, two gears of di ferent diameter rotated thereby, a driven shaft in line with the d riving-shaft, a driven gear thereon, the frame slidable along a line radial to the shafts, a counter-shaft. journaled in said slidable frame on one side of said shafts, gears keyed to it of proper diameter to mesh simultaneously with the driven gear and with one of the driving-gears, a second counter-shaft journaled in the slidable frame on the other side of the shaft, and gears keyed to it of proper diameter to mesh with the driven gear and with the other driving-gear, together with the aXially-slidable clutch between said driving and driven shafts, the sleeve carrying the driving portion of said clutch also carrying the two first-mentioned driving-gears.

et. Ina changeable-speed mechanism the combination of the driving-shaft and driven shaft arranged in line one with the other, a clutch member on the end of the driven shaft, the corresponding axially-slidable clutchsleeve on the driving-shaft, a gear-wheel formed integrally with the clutch member on the driven shaft, a gear-wheel rigidly mounted on the clutch-sleeve of the driving-shaft, a counter-shaft parallel to said driving and driven shafts and gear-wheels keyed thereon of suitable diameter to simultaneously mesh with the gear-wheels on the clutch member and clutch sleeve, before described, and means for shifting said counter-shaft toward and from the driving and driven shafts so as to make and break connections between said gears.

Signed by me at Jersey City, New Jersey, this 14th day of February, 1900.

ALEXANDER FISCHER. Witnesses:

GEO. B. ADAMS, W. H. PUMPHREY. 

